Time travel is more a means to an end in Outlander, but there is still an expansive timeline and lots of characters moving around to keep track of. Now toss in the new prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, and you really have your work cut out for you. When watching Blood of My Blood, which jumps back to the early 1700s to explore the love stories of both Outlander protagonists and super couple Jamie and Claire, you will no doubt begin to recognize characters from the mothership series — so many of the people you’ll meet in the prequel you’ve either already met or at least heard about in Jamie and Claire’s story. Lest keeping everyone straight becomes too cumbersome, we’ve created a little cheat sheet for you with all the familiar names and faces from Blood of My Blood and how you might know them from Outlander.
Spoilers for Blood of My Blood episodes one and two, now streaming on Starz, plus a whole lot of Outlander below!
Brian Fraser
Jamie’s father
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? Young Brian Fraser is the “bastard son” of Lord Lovat and his maid Davina Porter. His father is both emotionally and physically abusive, and yet, somehow, Brian has turned out sweet and thoughtful, and he has been known to take a pilgrimage to find himself as needed. When he meets Ellen MacKenzie at the MacKenzie Gathering, he instantly falls in love with her. Since their families are feuding, it will be trouble.
Do we know him from Outlander? Oh, you bet. Not only does Jamie speak often about his beloved father and the guilt he feels for the way he died, Brian is the only one of the four parents we’ve actually met on the original series: first during a flashback to Jamie’s imprisonment at Fort William where Brian watches his son get brutally flogged and then has a heart attack and dies; more recently, both Roger and Bree get to meet him alive in 1739, where we learn he’s a big Wife Guy. He doesn’t know Bree is his granddaughter, but he does notice a strong resemblance to Ellen.
Ellen MacKenzie
Jamie’s mother
What’s she up to on Blood of My Blood? Ellen MacKenzie is the eldest of Red Jacob’s children and the one most obviously born to lead the clan. Unfortunately, she is a woman and the patriarchy is alive and well in 18th-century Scotland. Still, she refuses to accept the role in life her brothers have handed her, and once she meets and falls in love with Brian, she knows she will do anything to be with him.
Do we know her from Outlander? People love to tell stories about Ellen. We hear about her from Jamie; his sister, Jenny; and Murtagh. They talk about how many suitors pursued her at the big Gathering, how she ran away to be with Brian, how Brian’s father tries to kidnap her at one point (!), how she dies in childbirth. Perhaps most affecting though, in season one, Murtagh opens up to Claire about how much he pined after her for a long, long time. Ellen MacKenzie Fraser has always been an icon, a legend, the moment.
Julia Beauchamp
Claire’s mother
What’s she up to on Blood of My Blood? Julia joins the war effort in the Postal and Telegraph Censorship department, redacting soldiers’ letters during World War I, when she becomes enamored by a letter from a Lieutenant Henry Beauchamp that is moving and also bleak as hell. They fall in love over a series of letters, which is both hot and very risky — catfishing is real, people. They get married, have little Claire, and go on a romantic holiday to Scotland where they get into a car accident and she accidentally falls into the stones at Craigh na Dun, which sends her to 1714. The tourism board of Inverness must be beside themselves. She winds up forced into servitude at Lord Lovat’s home (as mentioned, he is the worst) — oh, and she’s pregnant. So her trip to the past should be a very easygoing, chill time.
Do we know her from Outlander? Barely. Claire’s always believed her parents died in a car accident when she was a child. She doesn’t say much else about them.
Henry Beauchamp
Claire’s father
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? Lieutenant Henry Beauchamp endures the horrors of the Western Front during World War I and his reward for surviving is to marry the love of his life, the woman who kept him alive with his words, Julia. When he discovers Julia has disappeared among a circle of buzzing stones, he and his raging PTSD follow her. He will find her! But to do so, he has to ingratiate himself with Clan Grant, where he’s hired to act as the laird’s bladier, or spokesperson. The former bladier’s head was put on a spike upon getting fired, so the job is not without its drawbacks.
Do we know him from Outlander? If only! Claire would’ve loved this guy.
Colum MacKenzie
Eventual laird of Clan MacKenzie
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? Attempting to take control of Clan MacKenzie. As the oldest brother, he believes it is his right to become the new laird after his father’s death. Most people — including his father and his brother, Dougal — believe him to be out of contention due to issues with his legs, which render him unable to lead the clan into battle should there be one. He’s using his manipulation skills, his knowledge of clan politics, and his blatant disregard for staying loyal to Ellen to prove otherwise. Loves birds.
Do we know him from Outlander? He’s the laird of Clan MacKenzie when Claire arrives in 1743, and he does not trust her even one little bit. He does, however, come to trust her healing skills. He’s vehemently opposed to getting Clan MacKenzie involved in the Jacobite uprising, which once again puts him at odds with Dougal. So if you thought one day those two brothers wouldn’t be rivals, you were wrong, babe! Colum’s health deteriorates, and he has Claire help him out with a little assisted-death situation on the eve of Culloden. Still loves birds.
Dougal MacKenzie
Eventual war chieftain of Clan MacKenzie
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? The brute of the MacKenzie brood, he acts first and thinks later, if at all. He believes his strength has earned him the honor of laird, and he wants to bring glory to the clan — a lot of meathead stuff. While alive, his father was either beating him or telling him how stupid he was, so there are some issues there.
Do we know him from Outlander? Always up to trouble, Dougal is a Jacobite through and through, and he spends a lot of time collecting funds for Bonnie Prince Charlie. With his free time, he is typically found impregnating other time traveler Geillis Duncan or hitting on Claire. His unwavering belief in the Jacobite cause ultimately puts him at odds with Jamie, and he winds up killing his uncle ahead of Culloden.
Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser
Brian’s cousin, Jamie’s godfather
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? He’s a pretty carefree guy at this point, hopelessly in love with Ellen without ever having spoken to her. Before you think he doesn’t have game, oh boy does he know how to flirt with Jocasta Cameron. Still, with his best bud falling for his best girl, you know heartbreak is imminent.
Do we know him from Outlander? This man!! Seemingly a stoic curmudgeon, he’s a softy who puts his vow to protect Jamie above all else. He is by his godson’s side through all the highs and lows. He finally does something for himself when he reunites with Jocasta in North Carolina and the two fall in love. It doesn’t last long, though: He joins up to fight the British army and dies in Jamie’s arms during the Battle of Alamance in season five.
Red Jacob
Former laird of Clan MacKenzie, Ellen’s father, Jamie’s grandfather
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? His death and lack of succession plan is the catalyst for the whole show. He really did a number on his children.
Do we know him from Outlander? He does get mentioned here and there, though Jamie never met him. In season one, Ned Gowan tells Claire about joining Clan MacKenzie to work for him.
Ned Gowan
Bladier/lawyer/counsel to Clan MacKenzie
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? Poor Ned! He’s really trying to keep the MacKenzies from tearing each other apart, though he mostly sees the benefits of Colum being in charge. He has a soft spot for Ellen and becomes a sort of ally to Henry — bladier to bladier, you know?
Do we know him from Outlander? Sweet Ned! He’s still counseling the MacKenzies, although here he seems to align himself more with Dougal — he helps him raise Jacobite funds under Colum’s nose. He’s also instrumental in coming up with the plan to save Claire from Black Jack Randall by having her marry Jamie. He pops up again in season three to help out with all that pesky “Jamie is married to Laoghaire” stuff. Our hero!
Lord Lovat (Simon Fraser)
Brian’s father, Jamie’s grandfather
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? Oh God, he sucks. He’s gross, cruel, and he definitely forces all his maids to have sex with him. He holds a grudge against the MacKenzies, who he believes were the masterminds behind taking his titles and land.
Do we know him from Outlander? Jamie and Claire go to him in season two to try and convince him to fight for the Jacobites as Culloden approaches. He’s still disgusting and still very much out for himself — he sends men to fight, but in a way that will benefit him whether they win or lose. A man of absolutely zero principles.
Davina Porter
Brian’s mother, Jamie’s grandmother
What’s she up to on Blood of My Blood? She basically runs Lord Lovat’s house and is doing everything to ensure that her son will one day inherit land or money or something from Simon. This is why, when she sees Lord Lovat pay a lot of attention to new maid Julia, her reaction is that of jealousy instead of kindness.
Do we know her from Outlander? When Jamie confesses to Claire that his father was a bastard, he refers to her as “a kitchen maid.” So, uh, she isn’t much of a figure in anyone’s life.
Mrs. Glenna Fitzgibbons
Murtagh’s Aunt, Ellen’s maid, everyone’s favorite
What’s she up to on Blood of My Blood? Glenna is Ellen’s maid and confidante and already has enough sass for everyone she encounters to fill all of Castle Leoch.
Do we know her from Outlander? Mrs. Fitz runs Castle Leoch. She knows exactly who is making dreamy eyes at who and she basically keeps Claire alive when she first arrives. Does she put a lot of stock in faeries and shit? Sure, but who among us (in the Highlands)?
Jocasta Cameron
Ellen’s sister, Jamie’s aunt
What’s she up to on Blood of My Blood? One of the youngest of the MacKenzie brood (and often seen with sister Janet), Jocasta Cameron is sometimes callously honest, perpetually jealous of the attention Ellen gets, and unhappily married to an old man. Intriguingly, she definitely has the hots for Murtagh.
Do we know her from Outlander? Jocasta is the Elizabeth Taylor of Outlander. We haven’t seen her since season six, but at that time, she was on her fourth marriage. All of her children have died horrible deaths, and she gets mixed up in some Jacobite gold problems, but she does find brief happiness with Murtagh. God, they are hot together.
Letitia MacKenzie
Colum’s wife, Jamie’s aunt
What’s she up to on Blood of My Blood? Not a laird’s wife (yet), Letitia MacKenzie mostly defers to Ellen and seems pretty cool about the whole thing.
Do we know her from Outlander? She’s not around a ton but seems badass and suffers no fools. Her most notable storyline: It comes to light that Colum had asked Dougal to have sex with her to produce a MacKenzie air. Scandalous!
Malcolm Grant
Heir to Clan Grant; Ellen’s betrothed, maybe?!
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood?
Although his dad, Isaac, is a dick, Malcolm Grant seems genuinely sweet on Ellen.
Do we know him from Outlander?
If you listen closely to Jamie’s rundown about his parents to Claire on their wedding night, he does specifically name Malcolm as one of Ellen’s suitors.
Angus and Rupert
MacKenzie Clan cousins
What are they up to on Blood of My Blood? Peeping on Dougal having sex in a supply closet like little creeps!
Do we know them from Outlander? Angus and Rupert are ordered to follow Claire around when she first arrives at Castle Leoch and are generally a pain in her ass, but they become family. Rarely seen apart, when Angus dies at Prestonpans, his best buddy Rupert is left adrift. Rupert survives Culloden but is executed for treason soon after. It’s a very grim end for two silly men.
Arch Bug
This fucking guy
What’s he up to on Blood of My Blood? Mr. Bug is Isaac Grant’s muscle and mercenary. What he lacks in actual muscle, he makes up for in scowling. He is not thrilled with Henry’s arrival on the scene.
Do we know him from Outlander? Mr. Bug lives on Fraser’s Ridge and gets in a big confrontation with Jamie about stealing the Jacobite gold from Aunt Jocasta, among other things, and in the melee, Ian kills Mr. Bug’s wife. As is tradition, Mr. Bug vows to kill everyone Ian loves before killing him. When Arch Bug tries to make good on that threat by putting a knife to the throat of the woman Ian loves, Jamie’s son, William, arrives to save the day and put Mr. Bug out of his misery.
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